Encyclopaedia Africana

Heroes and Heroines

  • 3 Min Read

Kangu Migwa Kasanza (circa 1870-August 28, 1953) was a chief of the Lunda-Pende chiefdom of Kangu, located 100 km (60 mi) southeast of Kikwit. Migwa...

  • 7 Min Read

Pierre Mulele (July 25, 1929-October 9, 1968) led a bloody insurrection in the Kwilu area from December 1963 to April 1964. Because of his role...

  • 6 Min Read

Mbundu a Gamoni (circa 1870-August 5, 1941) was a great chief of the Akwa Mushinga, a Pende people living about 80 km (50 mi) southeast...

  • 4 Min Read

Ngongo Luhaka (circa 1860-July 15, 1919) worked as the principal assistant of Ngongo Leteta. After Leteta’s death, Luhaka succeeded his master as ruler over the...

  • 2 Min Read

Tengey Dzokoto I (187-1911) was a warlike chief of Anyako, a town on the northern shore of the Keta lagoon that formed part of the...

  • 9 Min Read

Ngongo Leteta (circa 1850-September 15, 1893) was a powerful slave trader from the Tetela ethnic group, located in the Lomami river region east of Lusambo....

  • 3 Min Read

Empress Eléni (147-April 1522), who reigned from 1468-78, was the wife of Emperor Ba’eda Maryam. She played an important role in Ethiopian history when, in...

  • 3 Min Read

Prester John is the name given to a mythical medieval Christian priest-king of a vast empire in Central Asia, who was later identified with the...

  • 5 Min Read

Philip Comi Gbeho (14 January 1904 – 24 September 1976) was a distinguished Ghanaian musician, composer, and educator, who greatly influenced Ghana’s culture, particularly through...

  • 2 Min Read

Walter Chichele Plowden (August 3, 1820-March 13. 1860) was the first British consul to Ethiopia and was a friend of Emperor Tewodros II  (reigned 1855-68]....

Editor’s Note

This website features a collection of articles largely from previously published volumes of the Encyclopaedia Africana, specifically the Encyclopaedia Africana Dictionary of African Biography, which highlights notable individuals from various regions of Africa. Please note that in these volumes, some names of people, towns, and countries were spelled differently than they are today. We have retained these historical spellings to preserve the integrity of the original publications. In some instances, the current spellings are also provided for easy reference.
Please report errors to: info@encyclopaediaafricana.com / research@encyclopaediaafricana.com

Support Encyclopaedia Africana

Help us create more content and preserve African knowledge. Your donation makes a difference! [Donate Now]

Working Hours

8:00am–4:30pm, Monday-Friday

Office Location

Campus of CSIR Airport Residential Area, Accra-Ghana

The Encyclopaedia Africana Project is an AU Flagship Project with the mission to produce and publish peer reviewed articles devoted mainly to Africa and its people.

Encyclopaedia Africana